Doctor For Hire

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure, Hilary. Gosh, I was just quiet because I barely remembered Robbie. It’s been a while since I’ve heard his name.”

“Oh… you didn’t? But gee Tabby you guys dated for-ever.”

“Not that long,” I argue, forcing my voice to sound breezy and happy. “Just in high school and that was a lifetime ago. You should have told me you two were dating,” I chide her, and she should have—from like the first date!

“I wanted to, but Robbie was afraid it would upset you. He said you were pretty upset when he broke things off with you.”

That asshole.

“Really? I don’t remember, but I doubt it. I already had my life mapped out here in Indiana.”

“You don’t know how glad I am to hear that, Tabby… because well…”

“Well?”

“I was hoping you would be my maid of honor,” she says excitedly and I close my eyes and fight down the nausea. The last thing I want to do is be a bridesmaid at my sister’s wedding. A wedding to my high school boyfriend. A wedding where I’ll probably be forced to wear some god-awful monstrosity of a dress.

Shoot me now.

“Oh, Hil! That’s so sweet, but what about your friend, Candace?”

“Oh she’ll be in it. But you’re my sister. I want you to be my maid of honor. I mean if you’re sure me marrying Robbie isn’t going to bother you,” she adds and she says it with just enough doubt that I know I have to lock this down.

“I’d be delighted to be your maid of honor. When’s the wedding?”

“Next month,” she says and my breath stalls.

“So soon? I thought you and Mom always insisted you would need at least six months to plan a decent wedding,” I ask.

In my head I’m wondering if I could lose about twenty pounds before next month.

“Well… I don’t want mom to know…”

“Our secret,” I tell her, wondering what new bombshell my sister could drop.

“I’m pregnant, Tabby. We want to have the wedding before I start to show.

Oh, wow.

“Oh… Congratulations, Hilary. I’m so happy for you. Gosh… I’m going to be an Aunt...”

An aunt to Robbie’s child… Robbie and my sister’s…

Life isn’t just weird… it’s a damn laugh a minute.

“Thank you! Robbie is so excited. He’s always wanted to be a father.”

Hmm… Robbie must have changed from the man I knew. He told me he never wanted kids.

Maybe he just never wanted kids with me.

“I’m happy for you both.”

“Wow, this went so much better than I imagined. I was afraid you’d be upset. Do you think you can come down sometime next week and help me look at wedding venues? It’s just going to be a quiet affair. Just immediate family—of course you can bring a date if you want. Though I know Mom said you weren’t really dating anyone. She says your career takes all of your free time. Aunt Harry mentioned the other day that you haven’t even had a real boyfriend since, Robbie.”

“You were discussing me with Aunt Harriet?”

“Well, she was having dinner with Mom, and we were discussing the wedding, it just came up… naturally, you know?” my sister responds and I tighten my hand into a fist.

I bet it just came up…

“I’ve had boyfriends,” I lie. “In fact, I’m dating a man now that I really like,” I add—because, hell if you’re going to lie, you might as well go balls to the wall with it.

“You are?” my sister asks.

“Yep. We’ve been dating for about six months. He’s a doctor on my floor at the hospital.”

“Oh wow, Mom never mentioned it,” My sister says and I can hear the doubt in her voice.

I mean, I know I’m lying, but really it could happen. I’m not scary looking and even with the extra twenty or thirty pounds I carry around, I’m not horrible looking. There’s no reason she has to sound like I’m making it all up.

Even if I am.

“I haven’t told her. You know how I am. I like to keep my private life, private,” I tell her.

“Oh yeah. Right.”

“Maybe you could bring him down next week then. I’m sure Mom and Dad would love to meet him. Besides Aunt Harry will be here.”

Seriously, I refuse to call a grown-ass woman Aunt Harry, no matter how much she insists. I don’t know why my sister does. I might could call her Aunt Battle-axe… that might work.

“Maybe. I’ll have to check his schedule… have him check it, I mean,” I answer, making shit up as I go along. “He’s in high demand. Brody is chief of surgery at the hospital I work at,” I tell her.

I don’t know what possesses me to keep rattling on. Especially about Dr. Miner. Brody Miner is the sexy chief of surgery at my hospital. He’s also arrogant, opinionated and hateful. There’s no getting around the fact that I’m more than a little infatuated with him. He’s tall with jet black hair and a neatly trimmed beard. He has these broad shoulders and a rock hard physique that looks good in jeans and scrubs. He’s got dreamy brown eyes that if you stare at too long you definitely could get lost in. All the nurses seem to have the hots for him, despite his attitude.